Five tunings with the twist of a knob!

Bob Stone · From: Gainesville, FL, USA

Yes, it's true. The new Fender Roland Stratocaster VG can change to five different tunings (standard tuning makes six) by just turning a knob: Dropped D, DADGAD, Open G, Baritone, and 12-String.

I guess it's only a matter of time before this technology is applied to steel guitars, eh?

Demo video here. Scroll down on the right hand window to VG Stratocaster. The tuning section begins at about 5 minutes into the video.

http://gc.guitarcenter.com/media/index.cfm?pg=products&fname=f2&brand=Fender&vname=fender_vg_strat

Tim Carlson · From: Arizona, USA

Yes, it changes tunings, but it does so electronicly, not by actually changing string tension. Gibson has a new "robot" les paul that actually turns the tuning pegs, and that system could certainly be adapted to lap steel(I think someone here already did). Also, there's been a system that been around for a while that's primarily put into LP style guitars that can store hundreds, if not thousands of tunings. I think Jimmy Page used one in the 90's when he was on tour.

Maybe I'm a bit "old school", but I'd be afraid of lap steel getting to complicated by electronic gizmos. Eventually, they'd build a "player steel", and do away with us as musicians entirely! Laughing

Bob Stone · From: Gainesville, FL, USA

Hi Tim,

Personally, I'm pretty content to stick with one or two tunings. But for those who like to play a variety of tunings it would seem that the Roland Fender system, or something similar, would have at least one advantage--that is, providing it really works well. Changing tunings electronically would not change any of the stresses on the instrument, which seems like an advantage to me. My guess is that it might be quicker than a mechanism that actually changes string tension.

Anyhow, we'll see what develops. Meanwhile, it's C6 on my Bakelite and G on my reso.

Philip Bender · From: Palmetto FL USA (deceased)

Aloha Bob,
Take a look at page 8 in "steel without pedals" at the bottom of the page, at the end view of the changer I am building. It has 6 cam screws per string which raise, and 6 screws per string that lower. The guitar has 8 strings, with the future guuitar to have 10 strings, so you can see the possible combinations will be 48 on the 8string etc.
Let me know what you think.
Mahalo,
Phil

MUSICO · From: Jeremy Williams in Spain

The retuning by pitch shifting is a great little invention. I have it on a VG88 roland system.

BUT

and it´s a BIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIG but

when you play one string, all other strings that aren't damped ring sympathetically. Makes for beautiful sounds. On my Godin classic, through the VG88, I play a nice vibrant high E note. The 6th string hums sympathetically rounding out the sound.

Problem?

If I have virtually retuned, perhaps to open D, an E note makes the sixth string reverberate, and the retuning electronics puts it down a tone to a nasty dissonant D. This makes for a horrible sonic mess if you like to play legato and let notes and overtones ring.

Jeremy Williams
Barcelona Spain

Bob Stone · From: Gainesville, FL, USA

Jeremy,

As Pee Wee Herman pronounced in his Great Adventure flick, "Everyone has a big but." The resonant dissonance is the sort of problem I imagined might be inherent with electronic retuning. Most unpleasant, I'm sure.

Oh well, two hands and a bar work pretty well...

Phil,

Your project is ambitious! It will be interesting to hear reports--and maybe even some recorded samples--of a finished guitar. Please keep us posted.

All the best,

Bob

John Billings · From: Ohio, USA

My Tele had a Hipshot B and G bender, and three toggles. The toggles lowered the Es to Ds, and the A to G. I could get Dropped D, double dropped D, and Low Bass G tuning in an instant.
Liked the vid. Good player!

Sonny Jenkins · From: Texas Masonic Retirement Center,,,Arlington Tx

Tommy Morrells 10 string non-pedal had a lever that protruded from a slot on the back apron that changed tuning,,,I understand he never used it.

Steve Alcott · From: New York, New York, USA

If you're referring to TM's Carson Wells guitar, it had, as near as I can remember 3 and maybe 4 levers on the back apron. I asked him once about them, and he said he used the one that made a Maj7 voicing for a last chord once in a while.

Alan Brookes · From: Brummy living in Southern California

As has been mentioned, it retunes electronically but not by changing string tension, so it would be no good for steel work. A Hipshot Trilogy will give more permutations and has no complicated electronics to go wrong.

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